This invention refers to a ski structure formed in two parts which are linked in order to enable the ski to be folded in half for minimum bulk.
A conventional ski basically comprises one single slide, which extends continuously from the front end to the rear end of the ski. This ski is therefore uniquely based both on its structural continuity and on the continuity of its elastic properties as well as the lower sliding surface including the lateral blades on the side edges of the ski. A conventional ski therefore has constant dimensions of length which correspond to the maximum dimensions of the ski, which under no circumstances can be reduced or modified. Therefore the transport of skis requires a special ski-rack to be mounted on the car roof, since it is not always possible to place skis inside and may in any case be dangerous and result in damage or injury. Carrying skis on the shoulders of the skier on the ski-slopes may be also uncomfortable and inconvenient.
It would therefore be desirable to make available a ski capable of the performances of a conventional ski or rather improving on them, and which at the same time can be folded in half with minimum bulk to facilitate transport.
In this respect, the use of a simple intermediate connecting hinge between the two separate parts of a conventional ski, even if it has never been proposed, would not solve the problem of adequately folding the ski when not in use, at the same time maintaining unchanged the structural and functional characteristics of a conventional ski. In fact, the presence of an intermediate hinge would involve an inadmissible discontinuity in the flexible structure and could not however be restored since it would be virtually impossible to match the edges and side blades of the two separated ski parts perfectly, thus rendering the skis practically useless.
Likewise, from a previous European patent application 258648 of the same applicant, is known a ski composed of two separate slides joined by an intermediate link arm hinged to the front slide in proximity of its centre line and fixedly or hingedly connected to the front end of the rear slide; each slide has at its front end an upwardly turned tip portion which solves the problem of discontinuity of the lower sliding surface and of the lateral blades of the ski. The use of elastic or semi-elastic pad means between the intermediate arm and both slides, enables to restore the continuity of the structural characteristics of the ski. This ski structure also has constant length and cannot be folded in half for minimum bulk.
After various attempts and experiments, it has now been discovered that basing on a ski structure in two parts, for example according to the previous European patent application 258648, by modifying the configuration and disposition of the hinges and intermediate link arm, a foldable ski structure may be obtained at the same time designed to meet the requirement of folding the ski in half for minimum longitudinal bulk, when the ski is not in use, and to maintain unchanged, or rather improve, the characteristics of structure, flexibility and functionality of a conventional ski.